Articles

The number of male teachers in primary schools has plummeted by more than 300 in four years, as classrooms become even more female-dominated.

In 2003, 5207 men were teaching in government primary schools - almost 22 per cent of teachers - but by last year their numbers had dropped to 4893 and were threatening to fall below 20 per cent.

While, in some professions, the gender balance seems to be changing in the direction of equality, the participation of males in early childhood education has not expanded because of stereotypical perceptions of this occupation, low salaries and status, and fear of being accused of sexual abuse.

A recent study, Who's Caring for the Kids? The Status of the Early Childhood Workforce in Illinois-2008, was conducted by researchers at National-Louis University's McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership and the Early Childhood Parenting Collaborative at the University of Illinois.

[MenTeach: It's useful to see that men in other professions all over the world face simliar problems as men teachers.]

I am a male nurse working in a very busy hospital. Some people believe the two are mutually exclusive. "Oh, so you are a male nurse", they say, not entirely convinced. Why do we need the qualifier "male" in front of the word nurse?

Derrick Vestal doesn't mind being the only male in his Early Childhood Education classes at Cleveland State. In fact, he could not be more certain he made the right decision on his choice of a major.

If it didn't run afoul of employment laws, principal Thomas DeVito would consider taking out the following newspaper advertisement: "Wanted: Male teachers."

At his Ferryway School, where boys slightly outnumber girls, male teachers are a rare species, presiding over only four of the 35 classrooms.

"The district has a job fair every year, but we don't see a lot of guys," DeVito said.

Women are the majority of the early care and education workforce. Recent Massachusetts workforce development policy recommendations for the early childhood field suggest that program staff reflect the diverse composition of communities served, yet men comprise less than 6% of that workforce. (Such data is not currently tracked in the Commonwealth, but nationally they constitute about 5.4%.) New attitudes and higher standards are needed. We must recognize and challenge institutional bias towards men and transform current recruitment and hiring patterns.

The number of men working in primary schools in Wales has reached its lowest level in nearly 10 years in Wales.

It is thought one of the reasons for the decline could be fears about false allegations of abuse against children.

One teaching union says it has dealt with more than 1,500 allegations against its members - but just a handful have resulted in convictions.

Back in Dec. 2, 1988, Rogers went to Yale to speak about the role of men in child care to a standing-room-only audience in Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona Hall. Some of Yale’s football players skipped Friday practice to attend the speech, Newell said. After singing one of his signature tunes, “It’s You I Like,” Rogers received a standing ovation, and several members of the audience approached him at the end to embrace him.

Adam Greene and Jordan Cook have spent their summers having fun -- going to the pool, leading crafts and playing games. They've also undertaken more serious responsibilities, such as maintaining order and resolving conflicts.

They are counselors at Derry Twp.'s summer day camp, organized by the township's parks and recreation department.

They are teachers in training. Greene, 22, of Hershey, is majoring in elementary education at Penn State University. Cook, 22, of Palmyra, graduated with a degree in elementary education from Susquehanna University.

Any parent will recognise Peter Smith's assessment of the boys he teaches at Hampton School in south-west London: 'Boys are like greyhounds. They love the chase and the race, and they don't care if the prize is a fake rabbit.'

Mr Smith had invited me into one of his English classes at this single-sex private secondary school to illustrate the point.

1) Join the Northeast USA mailing list or start your own
2) Pose with someone and we'll post your photo
3) A summer program that successfully recruits young men
4) Men on a Mission: Valuing Youth Work in Our Communities
5) The ongoing cartoon debate - offensive or lack of sense of humor?
6) Seeking men for a research project
7) You Teach What? The experiences of a teacher-principal-coach
8) Do you want to start your own male teacher training program?
9) A teacher's hard lesson: 'Not guilty' is not enough

[MenTeach: There are many lessons we can learn from women and from other professions. A member shared an article with us about a man in the nursing profession. Read the article - do any of the challenges sound familiar?]

A few good men
Male nurses defy stereotypes and discrimination to find satisfaction in a female-dominated profession

Where have all the male school teachers gone? Figures obtained by The Bulletin reveal there has been a consistent decline in male teachers across the Gold Coast region, with females outnumbering males by almost four to one in the classroom.

Poor salary and a negative perception of the industry has been blamed for the drop in the number of males taking up teaching.

Since 2003, there has been nearly a 2 per cent decrease in the number of full-time male state school teachers -- from 29.1 per cent to 27.2 per cent.

He came to the profession late in life, at the age of 35, after years of working jobs that held no real meaning for him. When Gregory Leontovich began his career as a special education teacher in 1992, he found his calling. Three years into it, his peers at his first school named him teacher of the year.

"I loved teaching," Leontovich said. "I still love teaching, but I know I'll probably never be in the classroom again."